Follow Ivy Says on Instagram here
What’s With Lebanon’s Cruelty Towards Animals?
I spent a lot of summers in Lebanon as a kid. A good number of homes in villages had dogs. Large dogs that were never vaccinated and lived on their owner’s doorsteps or caged in the back yard. They’re main purpose was to deter strangers or thieves or entertain the household’s children.
It’s a very common arrangement here, the kind where the family claims to have a dog but under no circumstance whatsoever would that dog ever be allowed to set paw in the house. The dog slept outside, ate outside, played outside and died outside, come rain or shine.
I always tried to secretly sneak the dogs into the house, would spend all my pocket money on buying them canned corned beef while everyone laughed at me, some even told me to go feed the hungry children instead. I had to get treated myself after I attempted to shower Whiskey, the village’s alcoholic’s dog with the garden hose. You see Whiskey had never had a shower in his life, he was flea-ridden much to my mother’s dismay.
I fought other kids when they threw rocks at the poor dogs or tormented them. When I asked adults why kids in Lebanon hurt animals I was always given the same absurd answer along the lines of “ Lebanon went through years of civil war were people killed each other, we have more important issues than animals rights”
Well, kids the war is over, and guess what, it ended in 1990 so some of you don’t even recall it, and even if you did, how on earth does that justify animal cruelty? Really?
And why can’t we multitask? Why can’t we deal with ALL our issues at once, why does it have to be either/or? Why can’t I have compassion for both animals AND humans without feeling guilty?
I write this post after we rescued a cute dog we named “Lucky” from a dumpster next to a residential neighborhood last week. She was a sweet little soul who was clearly starving with protruding bones and weighed no more than a kilo despite her medium size. It was obvious Lucky wasn’t always a stray; she looked like an older dog that wouldn’t have been able to survive in the cruel cold Lebanese streets on her own.
We gave Lucky a hot bath and her own little blanket while she cuddled up next to the heater and wolfed down 3 bowls of food. The next day I reached out to Animals Lebanon who told me to put her in a dog motel and pay for it myself since all their fosters “who are expats have traveled”, while the amazing folks at BETA (Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) told me to drop her off at the Animal Hospital where she was examined by the vet and then handed over to BETA.
Turns out Lucky was indeed an elder dog (10-12 years) and like many cases they have seen she was most likely abandoned because of her old age and all the “nuisances” it ensued.
So many Lebanese kids are going to receive pets as gifts this Christmas. By new year the novelty will wear off when they realize that the pet is not that cute anymore and will have to be housebroken before it serves it’s “purpose”, as a result most of these pets will most likely get abandoned. Please don’t get a pet if you aren’t 100% certain. BETA’s shelters are at over-capacity and they need all the help they can get.
And please don’t lecture me on where I should focus my compassion and instead redirect that energy on doing some good this Christmas.
Donate here to BETA which now accepts PayPal: donatetobeta@gmail.com
The Lebanese Valet; 2013’s Most Fearless Organized Crime Network
What can I say we’re wrapping up a great year.
Everyone around town seems to be complaining about the same thing but like most things in Lebanon that’s as far as it goes. This post is not meant to undermine any of the other dire causes that need our attention, but I’ve personally reached the end of my rope with the valet mafia that have introduced an unofficial tax on us and have taken over our streets and claimed ownership of our sidewalks.
If licensed valet services want to take full possession of the parking spots right in front of establishments, then so be it, though I highly doubt those are considered private property on city maps.
What I’m ranting about is PUBLIC sidewalks that are meters and meters away or across the street from restaurants, shops and bars that are now suddenly proclaimed off-limits by some thug-like characters who may not even be wearing a uniform giving out generically numbered receipts. Some randoms looking to make a quick buck with no municipal badge and no registration acting like they’re in charge, telling us where we can and can’t park. It sounds ludicrous doesn’t it? But guess what, we are all taking orders from them. We’re all either driving away or handing them the keys to our cars, worse yet we are paying/bribing these nobodies money so that we can park it ourselves and keep the keys to OUR cars with us. Yes, we pay DOUBLE so they won’t take away the keys to our own car. Nuts
They want to call themselves a valet service, whatever. This is organized crime.
Because if you try to resist the intimidation you will find yourself in a nasty confrontation that could possibly lead to threats or altercations.
I give my car to valet drivers all the time, but only when they work directly and exclusively (licensed) for a place and even then I do it with a heavy heart since they exempt themselves from all responsibility for loss or damage to your property. I refuse to pay them if I park it myself on what is considered designated restaurant/store parking spots, and if they do complain then I complain to management. I don’t do this to save LL 5,000 I do it because I refuse to enable this entitlement mentality.
I won’t give my car to valet services that have set up camp on a street and decided to tax customers and citizens. And you shouldn’t either. Maybe if we drive these mafias out of business and walk a little bit more, (like we happily do when we travel abroad) we could rid this city of these sidewalk parasites. Or maybe we just need Batman.
Ivy Says on Talk of the Town
From blogging anonymously for over three years to getting my own segment on the late night prime time show on MTV Lebanon’s Talk of the Town with the gorgeous host Mona Abou Hamze, this has been one interesting year for me.
Last week on Talk of the World I discussed Angelina Jolie’s very touching Humanitarian Oscar acceptance speech that got the world talking and how the Beckhams made a splash out of their hand-me-downs for a good cause.
You can watch the full segment here
http://mtv.com.lb/Talk_Of_The_Town/Season_6_Episode_7/58331
I also had the pleasure of being dressed and styled by the fabulous Chouchic team once again. And although I had set my sights on a lovely off-shoulder Halston Heritage dress , accessorizing it was the hard part.
Chouchic offered me three fabulous statement necklaces to choose from and so I was focus-grouping backstage until the very last minute.
I finally made up my mind and went with the multicolor bib necklace by Cara Couture Jewelry which is currently on sale right here.
The Neon Eagle Crystal Necklace (which I know from Instagram) was a big hit will go on sale Dec 4th so get ready to nab it.
Have a lovely week!
Mon Obsession Du Jour: LG Pocket Photo Printer
Every where you look someone somewhere is snapping a photo (mostly selfies.) But let’s face it no one is printing any of those things anymore. And what use is a good photo if you can’t hang it somewhere for everyone to see. I say this because I lost 2 years worth of photos on my phone last week. It felt like amnesia. Yes I didn’t back up, I’m one of those people. So when I got my hands on the new wireless LG Pocket Photo Printer I wasn’t going to let it out of my sight.
It’s actually a mini little thing that weighs nothing and fit right into my purse/clutch. I pulled it out of my purse at a café and my friends thought it was just another phone no one guessed it was actually a printer.
And with just the click of a button I was able to print out any photo I wanted on the spot.
I’m not the most technologically-savvy person, so I won’t lie I was slightly intimidated at first, but all you really have to do is download the free app on your smart phone, not to mention it actually works on all smart phones not just LG phones. I was also super impressed with the speed and quality of the photo, better yet that app allows you to edit the photo with filters and what not. But the best best part, is that you will never have to buy ink since IT WILL NEVER RUN OUT OF INK, yup that’s cause it uses Zinc paper!
You can find it at most LG showrooms or stores and it retails for $199.
Ivy Reviews: BarTartine
BarTartine. Even if you haven’t been yet, you’ve most likely come across the name by now. This latest hotspot has built quite the hype for itself and understandably so, since it’s managed to snatch one of THE prime locations in town. Think Mar Mikhael, an isolated beautiful outdoor court yard and a smoking terrace. (shared with SUD)
From the folks who brought you Zaatar w Zeit comes BarTartine, a casual restaurant, with laid-back and no fuss items on the menu such as soups, salads, and freshly baked sandwiches, thanks to its own little bakery located right down the steps on the main road below.
We were lucky enough to get a table outside on a busy Saturday lunch hour as management informed us we couldn’t reserve in advance by phone. Staff were quite helpful and well-informed about the menu. We had burned our fair share of calories that day and so it felt well-deserved to stalk up on the appetizers. I was a little disappointed that soups weren’t being served just yet (November) since I’d usually order a soup in Europe mid-July with no problem.
Luckily I got the chance to sink my choppers in two of the most amazing hearty Quiches I’ve had in Lebanon so far. The first was a chèvre (goat cheese) quiche with roasted cherry tomatoes on a fresh warm flaky buttery pastry that took it to the next level and though I’m not usually a fan of the pungent goat cheese, this one was one of the creamiest and smoothest experiences with this cheese I’ve experienced to date. Delightful.
The second Quiche served that day was one very similar to the Quiche Lorraine, closed-topped with a ham and cheese in a creamy béchamel sauce. The glutton inside me just wished they were a tad bigger especially for sharing; one bite will not be enough, trust me.
Next we had another one of my latest obsessions, the Ricotta Croquettes, they put mozzarella sticks to shame, served with a fantastic fresh marinara sauce. These should be renamed Bites of Heaven.
Finally as part of my everlasting quest for the best burger, I decided to go with the Lean and Mean Burger topped with Camembert cheese and caramelized onions in a homebaked bun. Though I loved the concept and the effort put into it, I didn’t love the actual burger, the main reason being the patty.
The beef was cooler than I prefer and tasted like the kind you would have at a local Lebanese cafeteria, regardless of the sophisticated Camembert or onions, which most of the time dominated the taste of the meat, and we all know a successful patty would never allow that to happen. But when I actually could taste the patty it reminded me of a soggy kafta trying to be a burger, I’m not quite sure if it was due the spice mix (or lack of) used but it just didn’t make it in my book of burgers. It was also not solid enough to hold itself together along with the bun, which although was uber fluffy and fresh, couldn’t keep up with all the ingredients and fell apart half way through, obliging me to eat the rest of it using cutlery. And though it wasn’t a bad burger per se, for (around $19) 28,000 LL and with class act burgers popping up all over town, there is no room for mediocre burgers in this city. So no it’s not one of their fortes. But the fries and sweet coleslaw were fantastic!
Though I won’t be visiting BarTartine for the burger again, I will definitely be paying this joint a visit to taste and review the rest of their baked items, including the pizza and baked desserts.
Price: 2 course meal for two with soft drinks should cost around $55-$70
What’s you favorite item at BarTartine?
More Reviews HERE
Cooking With Maggi at The Beirut Cooking Festival
As some of the people who’ve been following this blog early on know, not only am I a major foodie, I’m actually also obsessed with cooking. Yes I’m a woman of many talents.
And although slaving over a hot oven may not sound like the sexiest thing in the world it is actually one of my most loved pastimes.
So when Maggi Arabia invited me to cook this week at the Beirut Cooking Festival I was over the moon. On Friday November 8 and 9 from 12-2pm. I’ll be over at the Maggi stand whipping up a storm at the live cooking station. I’m not going to tell you what’s on the menu at the Cooking Festival just yet but I will share a quick and easy one I prepared in my own kitchen.
This is one of my favorite dishes called Chicken Parmigiana that I used to prepare during the cold winter days in Toronto, comfort food at its best. The dish is essentially comprised of breaded baked chicken breast that you can prepare from scratch with breadcrumbs or ready-made ones that you can get from your local grocery store. But the secret lies in the sauce. I usually use a box of strained tomatoes and then add in a couple of pureed fresh ones. I cook it over the stove with some olive oil, sautéed garlic and onions with a dash of honey and oregano and then add in two cubes of Maggi Chicken Stock, this is what will transform the otherwise bland sauce and give it a real hearty kick.
When the breaded chicken is cooked, I’ll just pour the tomato sauce over them in a shallow casserole and top it off with a very generous portion of Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese, finally I’ll throw it back into the over again until the cheese gets golden.
Garnish with some oregano and enjoy!
See you at the Beirut Cooking Festival!